Pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus.



A. W. PEARSALL.

PNEUMATIG DBSPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l1, 1906.

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SAVER ALBERT W. PEARSALL, OE LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LAMSON CONSOLI- DATED STORE NEW JERSEY.

SERVICE COMPANY,

OE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH-TUBE APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Application led May 11, 1906. Serial No. 316,290.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT W. PEAnsALL, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Despatch-Tube Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic despatch tube apparatus and its object is to control the flow of air through the transmission tubes so that power may be used only to effect the actual transmission of the carriers. This device is designed to operate independent of the power used in the transmission of carriers and may be actuated primarily by an electric circuit and secondarily through the medium of any uid under pressure. Unlike the usual devices of this kind, this apparatus permits of the control of the flow of air in the transmission tube either below or above atmospheric pressure with more positive and greater range of regulation.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a construction embodying my invention, Figure l shows the device in elevation and in connection with a vacuum pneumatic tube system. detailsectional view of part of the mechanism.

Like letters of reference refer to like `parts throughout the several views.

The transmission tube A having the usual bell mouth A is connected with the upward discharge terminal A2 with the usual discharge valve A3; connecting said terminal A2 with the downward discharge terminal is the transit tube B having at its upper end an inlet for carriers controlled by the valve B2'of common construction in the art.

Connecting the downward discharge terminal B with the upper chamber C of the casing D is the tube C, the lower chamber C2 being connected with the drum C4 by the pipe C3. Controlling the passage between the chamber C2 and C is the valve D normally closed. Allowing for the upward movement of said valve is the hood D2 mounted on the upper part of thecasing D. The valve D is aixed to the hollow spindle Fig. 2 is an enlarged.

.lifting the D3 at its upper end and at its lower end the spindle is attached to the piston D4 adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder D5 attached to the lower portion of the casing D.

Mounted within the hollow spindle D3 is the movable connecting rod E carrying on its upper end the cap E and pivotally connected at its lower end with the rock lever E2 which is centrally pivoted in the yoke E3 which also forms the lower head of the cylinder D5. To the opposite end of the rock lever E2 is pivoted the connecting rod E4 carrying the valve pistons F and F mounted within the valve cylinder F2 which is connected by the passage F3 with the lower end of the cylinder D5.

To the upper end of the connecting rod EA1 supported in the bearing F4 is attached the armature F5 adapted to be operated by the magnet F3, the coils of which are connected with the switches G and Gl by the line wire G2 and G3, the battery G4t furnishing current to said magnet.

Connecting the upper part of the valve cylinder F2 with a source of water pressure H is the passage H controlled by the valve piston F.` Connecting the lower part of said valve cylinder F2 with the outlet J is the passage J controlled by the piston valve F. Controlling the passage J is a hand operated valve J2 for graduating and timing the exhaust of the water.

In operating the device the switch G is momentarily closed energizing the magnet FG attracting the armature F5 which causes the valves F and F to move upward closing the passage J and opening the passage H admitting water under pressure into the cylinder D5 and forcing the piston D4 upward valve D and permitting the vacuum in the chamber C2 to enter the system. The carrier is now inserted into the bell mouth A, drawn through the transit tube A and discharged through the terminal valve A3. In the meantime, the water pressure having forced the piston D4 to its extreme limit of travel, said piston engages the cap E and through the medium of the rock lever E2 draws down the valves F and F closing the passage H to the water pressure and openingthe timing passage J for the gradual escape of water, allowing the piston D4 and valve D to drop by gravity to normal or closed position, thereby cutting off the circulation of air. It will be readily seen that as often as the circuit ius closed the above operation will be repeated. Carriers may be despatched from the despatch inlet B2 to the terminal B in similar manner. Y

Having thus described the nature of my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same, what- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, an exhaust chamber, a transit tube communicating with said exhaust chamber, a valve controlling the communication between the exhaust chamber and the transit tube, a fluid-pressure motor for operating said valve, a supply pipe leading to said motor from a source of huid-pressure separate and distinct from the fluid-pressure in the exhaust chamber and transit tube, a discharge pipe leading from said motor, a valve controlling the communications between the motor and the supply and discharge pipes, electric means for actuating the last mentioned valve to open the motor tothe supply pipe and to close it to the discharge pipe to effect the opening of the valve controlling the communication between the exhaust chamber and the transit tube, and mechanism actuated by said motor as the latter approaches the limit of its valve-opening operation for reversing the valve controlling the supply and discharge pipes so as to close the motor to the supply pi e and to open it to the discharge pipe to ettlct the closing of the valve controlling the communication betwleen the exhaust chamber and the transit tu e.

2. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, an exhaust chamber, a transit tube communicating with said exhaust chamber and extending to a plurality of stations, an airvalve controlling the communication between the exhaust chamber and the transit tube, a cylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder connected with said air-valve, a supply pipe leading to said cylinder from a source of fluid-pressure separate from said exhaust chamber, a discharge pipe leading from said cylinder, a fluid-pressure valve controlling the communications of said supply and discharge pipes with the cylinder, an electric circuit including a source of electricity extending to the different stations, a switch at each station to control the electric circuit, a magnet in the elect-ric circuit :tor operating the fluid-pressure valve to close said discharge pipe and to open said supply pipe to admit fluid-pressure into the cylinder to move the piston to open said airvalve, and mechanism actuated said pistonas the air-valve approaches the limit of its opening movement for operating the Huid-pressure valve to close the supply pipe and to open the discharge pipe to free the cylinder of the fluid-pressure to permit the piston to move to close the air-valve.

3. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, an exhaust chamber, a transit tube communicatingwith said exhaust chamber, an airvalve controlling the communication between the exhaust chamber and the transit tube, a cylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder connected with said air-valve, a supplypipe leading to said cylinder from a source of fluid-pressure separate from said exhaust chamber, a discharge pipe leading from said cylinder, a luid-pressure valve controlling the communications of said supply and exhaust pipes with the cylinder, means for operating said fluid-pressure valve to close said discharge pipe and to open said supply pipe to admit Huid-pressure into the cylinder to move the piston to open said airvalve, mechanism actuated by said piston as the air-valve approaches the limit of its opening movement for operating the luidpressure valve to close the supply pipe and open the discharge pipe to free the cylinder of the fluid-pressure to permit the piston to move to close the air-valve, and means to regulate the outflow of the fluid-pressure through the discharge pipe to time the closing of the air-valve.

4. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, an exhaust chamber, a transit tube communicating with said exhaust chamber, an air.

valve controlling the communication between the exhaust chamber and the transit tube, a cylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder, a hollow spindle connecting the piston with the air-valve, a valve-casing opening intermediate of its ends into said cylinder, a supply pipe leading topone end of said valve-casing from a source of fluidpressure separate from said exhaust cham-V ber, a discharge pipe leading from the other end of the valve-casing, valve-pistons in said valve-casing to control the communications of said supply and discharge pipes through the valvecasing with the cylinder, means for moving said valve-pistons to close said discharge pipe and to open saidsupply pipe to admit Huid-pressure to the cylinder to move the piston therein to open said airvalve, a pivoted lever connected at one end with said valve-pistons, a rod connectedwith the other end of said lever passing into said hollow spindle, a cap on the inner end of said rod to engage said piston when the airvalve approaches the limit of. its opening movement to move said rod to actuate said lever to move the valve-pistons to open the discharge pipe and to close the supply pipe name to this specification in the presence of to relieve the cylinder of the Huid-pressure two subscribing Witnesses, this 8th day of to permit the piston to move to Close the May A. D. 1906. air-valve, and means to regulate the out- ALBERT W. PEARSALL. 5 flow of fluid-pressure through the discharge Witnesses:

pipe to time the closing of the air-valve. IsAAo W. LITCHIIELD,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my A. S. TEMPLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. C. 

